Panjab Passes Resolution Blasting India over Floods

The Panjab government convened a 2-day special session of the state Legislative Assembly on 26 & 29 Sep to discuss flood relief and rehabilitation. On day 1, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members reached the assembly with placards decrying the Indian union government. The posturing was optics because the union government was not even present in the assembly. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led union government, accusing it of adopting a ‘step-motherly’ attitude towards Panjab. He said, out of the USD 181M flood-relief package, not a single rupee has been disbursed to Panjab till now. Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal, who presented the resolution in the House, demanded a special package of USD 2.27B for flood-affected families, farmers, and infrastructure restoration across the State. Leader of Opposition (LoP), Indian National Congress party’s Partap Singh Bajwa, blamed the AAP government for indulging in blame game. INC demanded removals of Goyal and Principal Secretary of Water Resources Department Krishan Kumar. On day 2, the assembly passed a Rehabilitation of Panjab resolution condemning the union government. The resolution was passed unanimously though BJP legislators were absent. The BJP had enacted a side show—a parallel mock Vidhan Sabha (state assembly) session on the topic: Who is responsible for the current state of Panjab? Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann alleged the Prime Minister Narender Modi is not giving him time to make a representation. He also said the union government has 'imposed an undeclared Emergency' on Panjab. However, on 30 Sep evening, he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The session seemed futile when the need is that an all-party delegation meets the PM and asks for support and funds. Meanwhile, speaking at an event in Pathankot on 28 Sep, LoP Bajwa said Panjab stands at the core of India’s engagement with Eurasia. Rather than being seen as a border state, the government should reposition Panjab as India’s gateway to Eurasia connecting India with Central Asia and Europe (earlier coverage).

As flood waters have almost receded in the worst-hit districts of Panjab, the situation continues to be worrying at Sasrali Colony village in Ludhiana where a change in river Satluj river’s course has eroded nearly 300 acres of farmland. The erosion rate continues to be 'at least two acres per day'. On 23 Sep, Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner (DC) Himanshu Jain sought 'engineering support for levee system assessment' from the Indian Army. Simultaneously, in Ahli Kalan village on river Beas, work is going on to plug a 750-metre-long breach in a temporary levee. In the absence of government support, 33 earth-loaded tractor-trolleys and a diesel tanker from Gehal village in Barnala district reached the flood-hit village by noon on 23 Sep. 'After we unloaded our trolleys, we began to move earth already dumped in the village. We shall work till late evening and shall return next morning,' said a young farmer who asked to withhold his name because all of them were contributing equally and a single person should not get prominence. Rashpal Singh Sandhu, who has been coordinating work and keeping accounts, said, 'The despair was just a day long. It was replaced with Chardi Kala (ascending spirit). It has been like a mela (fair), people coming here with help, our villagers serving them and joining them in work.’ At several places where breaches are being plugged or fields are being desilted, farmers from other areas are bringing their tractors along with diesel. Meanwhile, displaced families are returning to their homes to confront cracked walls, unsafe floors, vanished farmland, and an uncertain future. In district after district, people are struggling to restart life from scratch. Concurrently, approximately 16K acres of land out of the total 21.6K acres between the border fence on the Indian side and the zero line on the India-Pakistan international border across 220 villages in six districts were inundated. Farmers whose land lies beyond the fence have urged the Border Security Force to allow them to carry out desilting once the water recedes, as the time available to sow wheat is very limited (earlier coverage).

Panjab government has approached Panjabi industrialists and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to contribute generously to the newly created Rangla Punjab Vikas (Colorful Panjab Progress) Fund to help the state government rebuild the flood-ravaged state. On 23 Sep, the state Industry and NRI Affairs minister Sanjeev Arora mobilized 13 industrialists from Ludhiana, who met and donated to the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. These included the controversial Ruchira Paper Mills who donated USD 57K. Arora said, 'Since the donations made to the fund are exempt from the Foreign Currency Regulations Act and also count towards Corporate Social Responsibility spending of companies, I request more and more NRIs and corporates to donate to this fund.' However, Leader of Opposition (LoP), Indian National Congress party’s Partap Singh Bajwa urged Panjabis ‘not to donate’ to the fund. Bajwa said, ‘Since the fund will not be under the scrutiny of auditors and is exempt from the Right to Information Act, no one will know where and how the funds are being utilized.’ Meanwhile, the diaspora has been mobilizing funds. On 11 Sep, Red FM, broadcasting in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto, raised around USD 2M channelled via Sikhi Awareness Foundation. US NRIs have also raised over USD 300K. Locally, Ahrar Foundation, a Non-Government Organization under the leadership of Panjab Shahi Imam Maulana Mohammad Usman Rahmani Ludhianvi, has distributed assistance worth over USD 225K, including USD 146K aid through checks and relief materials. At the individual level, village level, there has been a lot of donation from within Panjab and neighboring states. However, donors must know that the time for rations is over. Now is the time to send diesel, tractors, and land levelers. Donate to known people and known organizations who can be held accountable for the use of funds. Also, there are many QR codes flying around with visuals of Panjab floods seeking aid. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh which was absent during the floods is now appropriating the people’s struggle to earn praise (earlier coverage).

A 73-year-old Sikh woman who lived in the US for over 30 years was deported to India by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Harjit Kaur was not even given a bed for 60-70 hours, and was made to sleep on the floor without a blanket. She was not even allowed to say goodbye to her family before being deported. Kaur’s lawyer Deepak Ahluwalia said she was given ice to take medication and denied food she could eat, with guards blaming her for her inability to eat the provided sandwich which could be due to  dietary restrictions. Meanwhile, another Sikh businessman Paramjit Singh—who immigrated to the US more than 30 years ago—has been detained by the ICE and kept in custody for over a month. Singh is a Green Card holder and has been doing business in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Singh's attorney Luis Angeles said the detention was absolutely illegal and that the government is increasing his health risks as he has a brain tumor and heart issues. The reason for arrest is that Singh used a pay phone in 1999 without paying the fee USD 0.35. Concurrently, the Canadian government has designated the Lawrence Bishnoi gang a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code—a step that bars Canadians from providing it with financial or material support, and allows for the freezing of assets, property seizures, and criminal charges against affiliates. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the designation gives law enforcement 'enhanced powers to combat a group that has instilled fear through violence and intimidation'. The gang is a transnational syndicate that originated in Rajasthan. Active in British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta, the gang has been linked to over 50 violent incidents since 2023, including bombings at the homes of Panjabi musicians Amritpal Singh Dhillon and Rupinder Singh Grewal alias Gippy Grewal, a shooting at comedian Kapil Sharma’s Surrey café, and widespread extortion rackets targeting South Asian communities. This is an important move in the context of thawing of relations between India and Canada (earlier coverage).

On 26 Sep, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal visited jailed SAD Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia at the high security Nabha jail. This is the first time Badal has visited Majithia and he was accompanied by his wife Harsimrat Kaur and Majithia's wife Ganieve Kaur. While talking to media outside the jail, Badal said the Panjab government had denied several previous requests to meet Majithia. 'Even when they allowed Harsimrat to meet him, it was only for a few minutes.' Senior leaders Daljit Singh Cheema, Sikander Singh Maluka, Mahesh Inder Grewal, and Virsa Singh Valtoha have been denied permission on the grounds that only close family members can meet Majithia. On 23 Sep, head of the Radha Soami Satsang Beas (sect, RSSB) Gurinder Singh Dhillon visited Majithia in jail. The Dera chief is related to Majithia’s wife Ganieve, currently the Member of Legislative Assembly from Majitha constituency and is listed as a ‘close relative’. The one-to-one meeting lasted over half an hour. Dr. Kanwalpreet Kaur of the Department of Political Science, Dayanand Anglo Vedic College said, 'The Dera commands a following more than almost all the other Deras put together in Panjab. And to disrespect or deny any wish of the Dera chief would have amounted to antagonizing his followers.' Given his purported closeness to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Dhillon’s visit had also led to speculation about him playing interlocutor between the SAD and BJP for a possible alliance ahead of the assembly elections. Meanwhile, according to a report by the National Green Tribunal-appointed committee, trees have been illegally felled in 40.34 hectares of forest land given to RSSB in Haryana’s Panchkula. The land was given with conditions, including one that banned felling of trees. Concurrently, villages on the left of river Beas have submitted a complaint to the District Commissioner, Kapurtaha that even during the recent floods, Dera Beas is mining sand from the river and strengthening the right side which is adjacent to the Dera’s property (earlier coverage).

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case against Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun for instigating Sikh soldiers to prevent Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from hoisting the Indian tricolor at Red Fort, Delhi on 15 Aug—Independence Day. Pannu also offered a USD 1.2M reward for the act. The First Information Report registered by NIA cites credible information and video retrieved from SFJ US official X handle. NIA says, on 10 Aug, Pannun hosted a Meet the Press at Lahore Press Club in Pakistan where he addressed journalists via video link from Washington, rejecting India’s sovereignty over Panjab and promoting the cause of Khalistan. The FIR says, 'During the press meet, he also unveiled SFJ’s new Delhi Banega Khalistan (Delhi will become Khalistan) referendum map which incorporates Panjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi into envisioned Khalistan.' Meanwhile, on 22 Sep, the authorities arrested Inderjit Singh Gosal, a close aide of Pannun on multiple firearms-related charges. On 26 Sep, Gosal was released on bail and he announced the Referendum in India on 23 Nov. Meanwhile, on 2 Sep, former SFJ member Gurpreet Singh Nihang spoke about his decision to leave the organization. Nihang said his departure came after years of tension, especially when his family started being targeted. The core reason for his decision came from ideological differences within the movement. When asked what he wanted—Khalistan or Sikhi—he responded, 'I would take Sikhi a thousand times over Khalistan. Sikhi is equality.' While talking about the Khalistan Referendum campaign, Nihang expressed how the process lacked reliability. Concurrently, the US government has leveled fresh charges against jailed Indian national Nikhil Gupta accused of the murder-for-hire plot against Pannun. The charges include money laundering, credit card fraud, trafficking of drugs and weapons, besides an attempt to kill a person in Nepal or Pakistan. US prosecutors have also said in court that former Indian Research & Analysis Wing officer Vikash Yadav promised to supply firearms and even arrange clearance for an aircraft to move weapons from India. The filing is a 'motion in limine', a type of pre-trial request where lawyers ask the judge to decide, before the trial begins, what evidence can or cannot be shown to jurors. Gupta, 52, is scheduled to face trial on 3 Nov (earlier coverage).

Panjab government has launched a universal health insurance scheme that ensures free health treatment of up to USD 11K per family. On 23 Sep, the pilot scheme was rolled out in Tarn Taran and Barnala districts. Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, 'People will have to come here with the copies of their voter identification card, AADHAR (identity) card, and passports, submit them along with the registration form, to be eligible for getting the free health insurance.' Sehat (health) cards will be issued to them. All government run health institutions are already on board for the scheme, around 500 private hospitals have also been empaneled and will give free cashless insurance to those who enrol for the scheme. 'In a year, irrespective of the number of people in the family seeking treatment, each family can get treatment for 2K ailments,' said Mann. Mann also announced that they were scaling up the number of Aam Aadmi (common people, named after the ruling political Aam Aadmi Party) clinics from the present 881 to 1K. Meanwhile, on 27 Sep, 36-year-old Panjabi singer and actor Rajvir Singh Jawanda was critically injured in a road accident near Baddi, Himachal Pradesh (HP). The singer’s motorcycle collided with stray cattle that suddenly came onto the road, leading to a crash. Jawanda was first taken to the Civil Hospital, Chandigarh where doctors confirmed that he had suffered severe head and spine injuries and went into cardiac arrest. He was later referred to Fortis Hospital, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar and is on advanced life support. Singer Resham Singh Anmol raised critical questions on the stray cattle menace in HP but also in Panjab. 'These stray animals have destroyed lakhs of homes. Toll tax is collected, even cow cess tax is taken—where does that money go?' In 2023, Panjab had 450 shelters which housed nearly 400K stray cattle. However, nearly 125K cattle still roam the streets causing up to 120 deaths a year.

Alarmed by the observations of the Supreme Court of India, the Commission for Air Quality Management reiterated that zero stubble burning during the current paddy harvesting season is non-negotiable. It directed the district administrations in the adjoining states of Panjab and Haryana to enforce statutory measures with both incentives and deterrence. The Panjab government has instructed thermal power plants to prioritize procurement of biomass pellets from manufacturers within the state, ending the previous practice of sourcing from Haryana. The decision follows objections raised by private pellet manufacturers in Panjab, who alleged that procurement clauses favored large Haryana-based companies. Nearly 40 biomass pellet units currently operate in Panjab. Germany-based Verbio Group is expanding its presence by setting up around 10 new bio-energy plants. These facilities will aim to convert agricultural residue, especially crop stubble, into clean energy, helping to address both air pollution and energy sustainability. Meanwhile, according to data from the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modeling from Space, Panjab has accounted for over 85% of the total crop residue burning cases in five north Indian states in the first 11 days of this season until 24 Sep. Out of 82 stubble burning cases, 75 are from Panjab. However, 42% cases (35) have been found to be false alarms with no actual stubble burning. The Ludhiana-based Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, the agency that collects data regarding farm fires, had reported them as crop fire cases, but when they were verified within 24 hours by the nodal officers, appointed by the deputy commissioners concerned, it was found that no stubble was being burnt. As per the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) action-taken report, only 47 fire incidents could be physically verified by the field officers. Farmer unions have flagged this anomaly, questioning the credibility of the data being used to track stubble-burning incidents. The reason is that the geo-stationary satellite sometimes detects fire incidents other than the stubble burning: garbage fire or smoke coming from a chimney. PPCB data shows stubble burning cases dropped 70% in 2024, with 10,909 cases compared to 36,663 in 2023 and 49,922 in 2022 (earlier coverage).

A clash broke out between migrants and residents of a housing society in Dhakoli, Sahibzada Ajit Singh nagar, on 24 Sep after residents locked the entry gate to restrict laborers from passing through. The migrants are employed as daily-wage labor by local contractors and stay in temporary jhuggis near the society and often indulge in drunken brawls. Society president Vijender Singh said that they had repeatedly appealed to the contractor to arrange a separate entry for laborers. On that day, the residents wanted to talk to the contractor but were attacked by labor. They did not involve the police because the migrants are sizable in number even inside the society. The same plays out in many fruit and vegetable markets, street trade, around the state where migrants have taken up the cart business which is a matter of concern says Misl Satluj founder Ajaypal Singh Brar. At a meeting on Migrants in Panjab called by Kendri Singh Sabha , Chandigarh, Indian National Congress Member of Parliament from Patiala Dr. Dharamvir Gandhi emphasized the need for documentation of all migrants, their full records. On 27 Sep, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha’s (SKM’s) Panjab unit asked the Panjab government to seriously implement the already existing Punjab Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979. The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 is a union government legislation enacted by the Indian Parliament to protect workers who migrate from one state to another for employment, usually through contractors. Panjab formally adopted the law by framing its own Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Punjab) Rules, 1983, which came into effect in April 1983. These rules laid down practical procedures such as registration, licensing, record-keeping, and the duties of contractors and employers within the state. Employers must maintain records such as muster rolls, wage registers and overtime registers, and notify labor authorities of any major change in workforce or contractor details. However, apart from in a few organized industrial sectors, many organizations do not follow this registration process. There is no law that governs migrants who come to the state to do trade without contractors (earlier coverage).

In Slough, UK, Without Shape Without Form (WSWF) is an assembly of contemporary artists, cultural practitioners, and thinkers committed to making self-discovery accessible through art. WSWF was co-founded in 2017 by Deep Kaur Kailey, formerly a fashion director at Tatler and fashion editor at Vogue India. WSWF is a volunteer-run organization, embodying the concept of Seva (selfless service). Two of the key concepts explored in the newly renovated space’s inaugural exhibition, Reflections—Sangat and the Self, are, as the title suggests, sangat (assembly), and the all-important tool of simran (remembrance). Kailey says, 'This exhibition underscores the idea that true and lasting healing begins within us.' Jasmir Creed, one of the two artists whose work is showcased, adds, 'When others connect with my work—its subject matter, or the way it is expressed—it becomes something shared. In those moments, healing moves beyond the individual and becomes collective.' The other artist, Roo Kaur Dhissou says, 'Through practice, I enjoy learning and exchanging ideas. I believe there are no authoritative figures on knowledge, so through participation and engagement, I facilitate discourse around race, gender, disability, and social class, and their intersections. These conversations are not always easy—conflict can be necessary—and dialogue can hold that conflict.' Healing, community, engagement, accessibility, and Simran are all part of this vital dialogue with gallery-goers. Alongside her paintings, Creed is also showing intensely detailed, monochromatic ink drawings. She uses ink for its fluidness and to emphasise the idea of transience—being in transit. Dhissou says, 'I’m never sure what box to tick on an equal opportunities form. Am I British Asian, Indian, where’s the box for Panjabi? I feel like I could be in between these boxes, I am beyond these boxes.' Meanwhile, Slough Sikhs, in partnership with NishkamSWAT, dedicated their homeless feed on Slough High Street to the memory of Shahid (martyr) Bhai Jaswant Singh Khalra. Bhai Khalra was a prominent human rights defender who uncovered evidence of mass abductions, torture, and extrajudicial killings of Sikhs in Panjab during the 1980s and 1990s. Sep marks the 30^th anniversary of Bhai Khalra’s disappearance and martyrdom (earlier coverage).